ZX919
by TinyCitrusLegs
Summary: Epidemic!Humanstuck!AU. An infection of catastrophic proportions is reeking havoc, and it is up to our favorite characters to figure out how to stop it. The ZX919 virus, also known as Black Sludge, is the distant relative of the Ebola virus. Will our young heroes be able to solve the mystery of this disease in time? Rated M for death, disease, and possible romantic situations.
1. Ambassador

(Author's Note: Some facts about viral mutations might be incorrect, but I tried my best to get across my point. This is, pretty much, just the set up for the story. It should also be noted that this site does not like the little arrow that comes along with Equius' typing quirk! XD So I apologize for that. I should be getting more written material out soon~)

Ambassador  
>~<p>

cG: OKAY, THIS IS WEEK FIVE SINCE THE FIRST OUTBREAK OF THE ZX VIRUS. I DON'T KNOW EXACTLY HOW WELL THIS IS GOING TO WORK, BUT IF ANYONE ELSE FROM AROUND THE WORLD CAN SEE THIS, PLEASE TELL ME WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON WITH YOU. THINGS ARE GOING DOWN THE SHITTER HERE, AND WE NEED TO FIGURE OUT WHAT EXACTLY IS GOING ON.

Karkat sighed heavily as he sat back in the computer chair. It was out for the world to see now, but he wondered what else of the world was left to see it. At week two, the news stations stopped airing. At week three, the radio signals grew fuzzy. By week four, nearly no one was on the streets; no one alive, at least.

This was the wrath of the ZX virus.

Karkat stayed back and still for only a short time before launching himself back onto the computer.

cG: HEY, FEFERI, ARE YOU GETTING ANYWHERE WITH THAT VACCINE? ANY CLOSER THAN YESTERDAY? ANY CONTACTS YOU MADE? ANYTHING AT ALL?

There was a long pause before her answer, and he knew that would be so. It was to his suspicion that she was having difficulties, but she insisted that she was making very evident progress.

cC: )(i Karkat. No, t)(ere aren't any c)(anges, at least, not for t)(e better.

cC: T)(e code of t)(e virus is really topsy turvy, almost like it defies t)(e laws of nature.

cC: -Even -Equius is at a loss…

cC: O)( gos)(! I gotta go, update you later!

cG: WAIT, FEFERI.

cG: GOD DAMMIT.

With an indignant groan, Karkat got to his feet and took a brief stride around his abode. All of the friends he used to have disappeared in mere moments since the first week. It's like all of the Hollywood zombie movies, except a lot less of the living dead and more of the angst and unknowing feeling added along with actual fright and tears.

The only people he was able to speak to again were Terezi, Feferi, and Equius, each one spread out and thin throughout the country. It was a near miracle that they still had contact, but that was put on Terezi for her quick gathering at a power plant.

Speaking of Terezi…

A loud buzz made the young man turn in his place and stalk back to his desk, picking up the walkie talkie just beside the monitor. "Terezi, what's going on? Numbers, I need numbers," Karkat sounded loudly into the walkie, his face etched with concentration that seemed to never end, almost tattooed on his countenance.

"Eht- psfft- therftt-" The horrible fuzziness behind the phone made it difficult for Karkat to hear her words. He navigated closer to a boarded up window and asked for repetition. "There's more ill- thirty six since- the day before yesterday-" Terezi repeated. "Fifty dead since then- current live population still- unconfirmed- unknown- nearing few thousand losses-"

Karkat cursed under his breath at the luck they were having.

"Any- news with you-?" Terezi buzzed from the walkie talkie

Karkat sighed and answered back, "No, nothing. Feferi's beyond busy, and Equius hasn't responded to me yet. I posted a calling though- maybe someone will contact back, it's the only sparse chance we have…"

When there was a long pause, the male knew what was coming. "Don't get- hopes up-" Terezi murmured back in a muffle. She had been losing her ambition for a while now, and it was aching to Karkat to know that she truly believed in the worst.

"Yeah- I know…"  
>~<p>

eB: hi cg! looks like you're on the west coast, i'm from the east. things are looking a bit better here though compared to where you are, at least, from what i hear. we've still got hospitals running and a rather put together government. the borders are closed and only certain flights are allowed into the country. what is your country's state?

Wow, Karkat had almost lost hope. It had been three days since he posted that damn update- thank god someone responded. He hoped beyond all of his being that, whoever this person was, he or she would be able to respond.

cG: FINALLY SOMEONE RESPONDED.

cG: LIKE I SAID, WE'RE GOING DOWN THE PROVERBIAL SHIT HOLE, AND ALMOST NOTHING CAN BE DONE TO SAVE US.

cG: THERE ARE QUARANTINES, MARTIAL LAW, AND MAD AS FUCK RIOTS.

cG: I'M IN ISOLATION RIGHT NOW AND COMMUNICATING, OR AT LEAST TRYING TO, WITH PEOPLE WHO ARE TRYING TO FIND VACCINES AND CURES.

cG: WHAT IS GOING ON WITH YOUR AIRLINES?

cG: ALSO, THE NAME IS KARKAT.

Surprisingly enough, it only took about an hour to get another response, and being stuck inside with a computer to be the only source of entertainment, Karkat was able to see it instantly.

eB: nice to know your name, karkat, mine's john.

eB: the airlines are only allowing in two flights a week, usually with only about a hundred people. we're kind of like a safe haven for a lot of families. they give a lot of test screenings for the black sludge, so we've almost wiped out the virus here.

eB: we don't really have anyone working on a cure though. we're more trying to work on helping the people who are sick feel better. we don't have a research center.

cG: DAMN MAN, IT SEEMS LIKE BOTH OF OUR SITUATIONS ARE AS BAD AS A BUCKET OF FESTERING BLACK SLUDGE DISCHARGE.

cG: AT LEAST YOU ARE RATHER SAFE THERE THOUGH, RIGHT? WE'VE GOT SICK PEOPLE NEARLY STALKING THE STREET, IT'S RIDICULOUS

eB: yeah, we're rather safe. at least, we don't have more infected coming into the country than what we've already got. how far are you from getting a cure?

cG: MAN, I DON'T EVEN KNOW. THE GENOME OF THE SLUDGE CHANGES ERRATICALLY, OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, AND WE CAN NEVER PREDICT WHAT IT'S GONNA DO.

cG: PLUS, FROM MY LAST UPDATE, IT SEEMS AS THOUGH IT'S ADAPTING TO THE DRUGS WE'RE TRYING TO DEVELOP.

cG: AND I'M PRETTY SURE THAT THE VACCINE IS STILL AT POINT ZERO BECAUSE WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THE HELL THE VIRUS ACTUALLY EFFECTS YET.

cG: PRETTY MUCH, WE'RE RUNNING IN CIRCLES WITH OUR TAILS TUCKED BETWEEN OUR STUBBY, UNDEVELOPED, AND POOR EXCUSES OF LEGS.

eB: that's not very good…

cG: REALLY? I DIDN'T NOTICE!

cG: EITHER WAY, WE HAVE TO KEEP WORKING AT IT. EVEN IF IT MEANS DYING FOR A CURE

cG: WHICH REMINDS ME.

cG: DO YOU THINK YOU AND I COULD KEEP IN CONTACT WITH EACH OTHER FOR INFORMATION. I CAN KEEP YOU UPDATED ON THE VACCINES AND SUCH WHILE YOU KEEP ME UPDATED ON POPULATIONS AND FLIGHTS.

cG: ALSO.

cG: IF YOU COME IN CONTACT WITH ANYONE ELSE FROM AROUND THIS GOD FOR SAKEN EARTH, YOU SHOULD LET ME KNOW.

eB: yeah, definitely, i can do that.

cG: OKAY, COOL. I GOTTA GO NOW AND SEE IF I CAN GET SOMETHING DONE. BYE JOHN.

eB: yup, bye.

Finally, something was looking up!  
>~<p>

cT: D - Karkat

cT: D - I do believe I have made an e%ponential breakthrough in the genome

cG: GREAT, LET ME HEAR IT.

cT: D - It seems that the Z%919 virus mutates in a particular pattern

cT: D - And very rapidly at that due to its RNA nature

cT: D - Every third mutation, it develops a greater resistance to white b100d cells

cT: D - And every fifth mutation, its resistance to the outside world, e%treme temperatures, and cleansing rituals becomes greater as well

cG: OKAY, YOU'RE HALFWAY LOSING ME.

cG: CAN YOU GIVE ME THE SHORT AND MORE UNDERSTANDABLE VERSION OF WHAT YOU'VE LEARNED?

cT: D - Well

cT: D - From the first version of the virus we've seen in humans, the Z%919 genome has evolved at least si%teen times

cT: D - And, in that time, it had developed 5 levels of resistance to our own immune systems, and 3 levels of resistance to the outside world

cT: D - Although, that isn't counting what possible mutations it might have taken into account whilst developing in other species aside from homo sapiens

cG: SO WHAT YOU'RE SAYING IS THAT WE'RE SCREWED?

cT: D - Essentially

cG: THAT'S GREAT!

cT: D - You don't seem to understand

cT: D - This is still a delightful breakthrough

cG: REMEMBER WHAT I SAID ABOUT EXPLAINING YOURSELF?

cG: WHY DON'T YOU TRY THAT AGAIN AND MAKE THINGS EASIER FOR ME?

cT: D - There's no need to act so disgruntled

cTL D - Besides, it is very disrespectful to produce yourself like that to a person like me with such e%quisite education, unlike yourself

cG: AND HERE WE BOTH ARE

cG: A DOCTORATE AND A HIGH SCHOOL DROP OUT

cG: BOTH IN THE THRALLS OF THE MOST DEADLY VIRUS KNOWN TO MAN

cG: DISEASE DOESN'T DISCRIMINATE

cG: NOW TELL ME WHAT'S GOING ON

cT: D - Fine

cT: D - There are two types of viruses to be concerned about currently: RNA and DNA

cT: D - We are dealing with an RNA virus

cT: D - RNA viruses are unstable and mutate faster than DNA viruses, usually single-stranded and a genome segment number of twelve

cT: D - It is most closely related to the _ebolavirus_

cT: D - The Z%919 virus is built up with proteins, and one change in the protein may cause e%ceptional changes

cT: D - To put it in one sentence, once we find which protein changes in a mutation, we can figure out how to develop a drug to counteract the protein and, thus, be able to go against the rest of the proteins

cT: D - We are only two steps away from finding a cure, Vantas

cG: OH MY GOD

cG: YOU'RE NOT KIDDING?

cT: D - I don't kid

cG: YOU NEED TO TELL FEFERI THIS

cG: I CAN'T BELIEVE IT

cG: WE'RE GOING TO MAKE IT


	2. Scientist

(Author's Note: Yet again, this site, for whatever reason, doesn't like Equius' arrow. Ugh. Also, wow, lazy I am...)

Scientist

.

The transition from leather gloves to latex ones wasn't quite as hard as one might think, but changing from bolts and screws to petri dishes and microscopes was inexplicably difficult. After all, one had to be very (VERY) careful when handling glass slides so thin, and god knows that even being careful was difficult for Equius.

But he made do.

He was brave enough, _strong _enough to handle microbes so fatal in mere contact with only the thin barrier of latex to stop its entrance.

His first time looking through the microscope wasn't successful though. It was idiotic for his first viewing of the microbe to be, also, the first time he used a microscope. This whole situation ended with the cracking of a slide and horrendous panicking over the released virus.

The old lab is charred, locked off, and on the other side of his small base.

Since that time, Equius had the chance to practice and become careful to the point of near madness, but that's what epidemics did to people. Precise movements weren't the only attribute to grow stronger from such a circumstance, another addition being the development of the highest level of an aseptic environment the man could muster.

"How many times did you wash your hands?" He asked thickly from behind a layer of plastic that covered his entire facial structure. Many people would find his current attire idiotic, but those people would also probably be dead in this situation. The scientist was clad in the most protective armor against disease a man could make, even going as far as wearing two different sets of plastic. He was, in no way, going to risk his life in this situation.

"Three- like always, Equius," His accomplice answered. She, too, was in similar armor, although it looked much more ridiculous for her size. "And yes, I also took a swab. I'm negative."

"Good- good. Hand me petri dish P7," he requested, turning back to a table before him. There was a variety of tools that all looked very dangerous, but that wasn't the point of today. The point of today was the several chemicals perched just slightly off to the side.

Nepeta settled the dish in front of him, lifting the cover and moving to clean it out and disinfect it.

"Start Log 112." With a flex of his fingers, the procedure began. "Sample 112, seventh in the sixteenth mutation. The protein in question for this mutation might be the ninth in the sequence. To test this hypothesis, we are now going to trace the strand with iodine."

Equius leaned forward as he spoke, moving his hands to grab what he needed and producing a pipet filled with the chemical he spoke of briefly. A slight burst of color followed just one drop of the iodine, but this merely brought the scientist to sigh.

"As with the last five mutations, the microbe shows a resistance to the chemical. It will be approximately two more days before the next mutation. End Log 112."

.

"-Ninety seven -ninety eight -ninety nine -one hundred." Equius' hands still shook every time he'd rid himself of his gloves. One would think getting used to constant alertness would be easy, but it isn't. When his hands were dry, he went through the tedious process of trying to rid of his protective gear without actually touching the outside of it, not even for the briefest moment. Every little action mattered, especially the washing of his hands for a second time after ridding of his gear.

"One- two- three- four-" There was always a process, always a protocol. You must follow the protocol every single time, or else the consequences could be dire. "Five- six- seven- eight-"

"Equius- Equius! We've got a break!" The scientist didn't move, protocol. Nepeta was at his side in an instant, throwing a graphed paper in his face viciously. "Did you hear me, Equius?! A break in the chain!"

"Nepeta, it could be false, like the other ones. Don't interrupt protocol." His words were always like an order, especially now, and that was what made the young girl narrow her eyes and stand back to wait. "Nine- ten- eleven- twelve-"

.

"Do you see it?" Nepeta asked for the third time, leaning heavily over her partner as he looked over the paper. He had finally taken the paper into account about ten minutes ago, and for every minute that had passed, his expression had gained just a little bit more of some sort of emotion, either horror or shock.

"Equius?! Answer me!" She was nearly begging, beyond exasperated with his behavior.

Equius moved suddenly, grabbing a notepad and a pencil to start jotting things down. As he wrote, he spoke out loud, "I didn't notice it before- how could I not have noticed it? It was right in front of me!"

"What? What was in front of you?!" She hated being out of the loop, absolutely hated it, despised it. It didn't help that she hadn't majored in the scientific field, but she knew from just one glance at this particular scan that something was up. "Equius, please-"

"The chain! The damn chain- it's- there's an actual pattern that I didn't notice, one that actually matters!" Equius scrambled for the other scans from previous mutations, laying them out on a desk and grabbing a pencil to start circling particular spots and putting words down.

"Here- we've been working with this protein in particular, the one that was most likely linked to transmission and how the disease overtakes healthy cells. But- look here-" He pointed to another point in one scan. "See this bump? It was the one protein in the fifth mutation, the fourth one, it seemed to change randomly, linked to transmission, but look, it happened again- in the scan you just showed me!"

Equius gave a deep breath, looking wide eyed at his partner. "I've figured out the pattern…"

.

cG: YOU NEED TO TELL FEFERI THIS

cG: I CAN'T BELIEVE IT

cG: WE'RE GOING TO MAKE IT

Equius closed out of the current conversation and dove back into a previous one he was having with Feferi. He hoped that she would be on precisely at this moment, but the chance was nill.

cT: D - Feferi

cT: D - I've figured out the pattern to the Z%919 genome

cT: D - Please contact me as soon as possible

He was correct in his previous assessment; she was not on, and she probably wouldn't be on until much later. It didn't matter, he had many other opportunities to act out.

The scientist turned in his chair and sighed heavily, bringing a hand to rub at the tense muscles along his brow. He flipped off his glasses, staring with anguish in a random spot off to the side. It would have been a very odd turn of mood, but his state of mind explained it clearly.

His companion walked by his office, and he called her in with a gentle voice. She knew of the up and coming question, but she also knew with what regret he owned to speak those words. So, when Nepeta entered, and sat in a chair just before him, she held not that bitter of an expression, but one of understanding.

"I now have many more possibilities to go through with. There is the potential of five different chemicals that could possibly impact the protein, maybe even a bit more depending on the combinations…" While he spoke, the scientist observed his companion, eyeing at scars that lined her arm. It was hard to look at, but he knew he must. "And- I need to test each one…"

Nepeta nodded every time he spoke, her brow knitting up sorrowfully at the way he was tearing himself up. She didn't speak back though, she knew that he had to say it for himself.

"Will you give me your consent- to test the drugs?" He finally asked with a toughened throat, his fingers aching to scratch out his voice. How could he? HOW COULD HE? "Just like- all the other times…"

She dug her fingers into the lab coat she wore, looking down nervously and sometimes glancing along her forearms. Just like all the other times...


End file.
